How to get on the council list?

tryingtocutback

We are currently privately renting but it's inconvnient and expensive.

I wanted to ask the following:-

1. Do you have to live in the area where you apply to go onto the council housing list.

2. Is it "easy" to get on the list just as regular full time employed people (no kids)?

I have looked at the council websites but its very unclear and I just really want to know whether I would be wasting my time.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

ruggedtoast

Acquire 7 children, leave the country, lose your passports on the plane and claim asylum on re entry. Bingo, a world of benefits, free housing and education are yours.

Otherwise, working on a low income, sorry you have no chance.

tryingtocutback

okay, thank you anyway.

fiendishly

We are currently privately renting but it's inconvnient and expensive.

I wanted to ask the following:-

1. Do you have to live in the area where you apply to go onto the council housing list. different areas have different rules. Where you can go on their list, priority (usually in the form of more 'points') is given to those with a local connection

2. Is it "easy" to get on the list just as regular full time employed people (no kids)? whilst in theory access to social housing is not related to your employment status per se, many Registered Social Landlords (ie Housing Associations) have charitable status and have a requirement to let only to those in 'housing need' - too high an income can mean you are not eligible

I have looked at the council websites but its very unclear and I just really want to know whether I would be wasting my time. they are all different. Your best chance is the long term option - remain on the list for years (10, 20 +) and you will accrue 'waiting time' points. This is always a good idea, and may well mean you get somewhere later in life, when others are struggling

Hope this helps

fluffnutter

I appreciate that private renting will be expensive, but that applies to everyone. Social housing is (supposedly) on a needs basis. By the sounds of it, they'll be many others with a greater need than yourself. By all means stick yourself on the council list, typically you accrue points for various things, e.g. number of children, how long you've lived in that area, any disabilities etc. The more points you have, the quicker you'll be housed. But it sounds like you might have to wait some years.... and rightly so, I'm afraid.

poppysarah

Register. It's not difficult and you might get lucky.

it is supposed to be done on housing need though so if you were about to become homeless, were homeless, etc then you would have more priority.

climbgirl

By all means register, but you will need to come up with better reasons than "it's inconvenient and expensive" if you want to be prioritised.

Private renting may well be expensive but I'm afraid that is true for everybody and council housing is provided to those who need it most (impending homelessness, young kids, disabilities etc).

Amishwannabee

Definitely apply but check as different councils have different rules and many use housing associations as the providers of properties. You can apply anywhere but usually they like people to live in their borough. Many but not all, use choice based lettings which means you can bid on a property you are interested in. Whether you will be successful depends on the banding you have been allocated based on your needs including any medical issues, overcrowding, current living arrangements. Properties are allocated by banding and the length of time that the people bidding have been on the books. So if you joined in 2011 and someone else in the same banding joined in 2008 then they will be chosen ahead of you when the property bidding closes. Don't forget too, that there are not as many larger properties (3+ beds) usually available for bidding on as there are flats - when the larger ones come up round here, there are loads of bidders who have been sat quietly waiting for a number of years. The number of people in social housing who choose to do mutual exchanges to move has increased as it can be a quicker option than the lists.

Owain_Moneysaver

fiendishly wrote: »

they are all different. Your best chance is the long term option - remain on the list for years (10, 20 +) and you will accrue 'waiting time' points. This is always a good idea, and may well mean you get somewhere later in life, when others are struggling

My local council has removed all waiting time points; apparently they contravene somebody's Human Rights.

Things you can do:

• obtain a small child or children
• go to prison and claim housing need on your release
• claim or obtain a disability which means your current property is unsuitable
• get parents / siblings to move in with you and claim overcrowding
• get admitted to long term hospital and claim housing need on your release

Some of them are more realistic than others.

As well as the council you should also register with neighbouring authorities -particularly if you could commute to work - and all the housing associations. There may also be opportunities for rent-to-buy or shared ownership schemes as well - put your name down for all of them too.

hcb42

I think the words flogging and dead horse comes to mind.

the reason I say that, my mother (now deceased) had us registered from the time I was born, and of course until you are homeless you are never a priority. There were four kids and for a long time we had a private rental.

Eventually of course 35-40 years later all four kids had left home, and they then needed a bungalow for mobility purposes. It was impossible.

Your situation therefore seems doubly impossible, as you dont have kids. I wouldnt even venture down this thought process TBH.

mutter

You don't say where you live, but some parts of the country are worse off than others when it comes to the amount of social housing available, so it might be worth a punt.

However, be aware that even if you're extremely lucky and ar eoffered somewhere to live, it's likely be a place that's difficult to let to a family (ie high rise etc).